I'm in a company truck as well and can't put any inverter in larger than can be plugged into a lighter socket, so that sticks me with 300watts as well. What I do for my coffee is this: I have a 1/2gal Stanley thermos. This thing will fill 4 LARGE cups of coffee. The price to fill it at every truckstop I've ever been to is the exact same price as one cup of coffee. With both me and my wife as coffee drinkers, it saves a fortune. Also, the thermos keeps coffee hot for roughly 8hrs.

Not according to recent studies. Coffee ( of course in moderate amounts) has been shown to also reduce risks of various cancers. Not that anyone really takes any studies seriously one way or the other.

That being said, I have used a single burner propane camp stove to heat water and just used instant coffee. Fill a thermos and a mug, then head down the road. Been doing it this way for almost 30 years. Never can find any truckstop coffee I care for that much, whereas I can make a batch up in the truck just the way I want it.

I prefer to believe the studies that support my positions and disregard those that conflict with my views.

Instant coffee? SACRILEGE!!!

Just about every things been covered except one, I too wasn't allowed to hard wire an inverter so I did the next best thing bought a good heavy set of jumoer cables cut one end off and installed lug terminals. When I wanted to use my microwave I just poped open the side box pulled out the clamp ends of the cables and hooked them to the jump start connections on the truck. I was qustioned about this by my company and showed them and they didnt have a problem with it cause it wasn't hard wired and not subject to haveing the cables worn thru on sharp edges.

I would try a coffee press and butane burner like Michigan said...its much better than any machine u can also try this camping coffee pot that got lots of thumbs up on my last camping trip GSI Enamel Coffee Pot - 6c in Camping, Cookware available at any outdoors shop. maybe its better than a glass coffee press that may break. u could even set up on your catwalk and brew! Aaaah morning coffee and fresh air!

Thanks for all the replies. I'm going to continue to just buy from the truck stop until I get my new truck within the month. Hopefully it'll have a generator or I'm leaning towards the separate batteries with larger inverter.

My situation has changed and now I'm apu-less. So last week I ordered the percolator from Amazon I was talking about:

Amazon.com: Farberware 50124 Classic Yosemite Stainless Steel Percolator: Kitchen & Dining

I just tried a test run at home and I think I'm going to like it. It feels like quality anyway. I'll just fire up my Burton Mr Max butane stove and I'll have coffee in a few minutes. I bought some basket filters at Walmart and I was going to ask if there's anything better out there but I just noticed:

Amazon.com: Melitta U S A Inc 628354 White Disc Coffee Filter: Everything Else

Damn, I should have ordered some with the coffee pot.

One question I do have is do I need to buy a special grind for percolator use or will the standard drip grind coffee be ok? Anyone got a favorite coffee for percolators???



Edit: Amazon rocks. I just ordered these - a nickel apiece, free shipping and no mess in the truck.

http://www.amazon.com/Melitta-Coffee...8113907&sr=1-1

It appears I'm getting a new Volvo 670. The fleet manager can't quite pull the trigger on an APU so besides the coffee making situation I'll want to look into the stand alone batteries under the bunk with an inverter wired direct. I'm sure it'll have to be completely separate from the truck electrical system.
I'm thinking of 2 truck batteries wired together with a large inverter wired direct with the outlet accessible to plug in a microwave for use to heat something such as soup or stews or dinners pre-made in Tupperware.
So anyone have ideas how they did their setup? I saw one somewhere explained in detail. Thanks in advance!
Also, it sounds like we're getting the Wabasto bunk heater and Nite air-conditioning system. Any thoughts on these systems. I know we have had good luck with the Wabasto bunk heaters.
Thanks again.

I have a friend who has one of the bunk heaters. He loves it. The heater keeps his truck as warm as toast, even on the coldest nights. I don't know about the a/c unit.

why not do what was said above just get the inverter with the hooks that go directly to the batterys? i'd think that'd be a lot easier.

also i hear the nite system is aweful.